


The Technical Expert

by Lionheart39



Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25473988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lionheart39/pseuds/Lionheart39
Summary: UNIT is looking to recruit a Technical wizard!
Kudos: 1





	The Technical Expert

1953 Korea

Corporal Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart was now assigned to Inchen Camp 100 miles East of Seoul, he was teaching new recruits advanced radio skills, while he recovered from a rather gruelling few months. He had spent several long and pain filled weeks as a prisoner of war, being interrogated by a malicious communist officer, before escaping and making his way back to his own lines.

Today he was lugging one of the large radio units down to the repair shop at the far end of the base. He had already stripped it down four times in the last three days and replace the usual components that would cause these faults, but still the intermittent fault persisted. He was also worried about the signal gain, he wouldn't want to issue this radio set to anyone. The trouble was supplies of radio equipment were very low. Someone would have to be issued with this bag of bolts and Alistair knew he would probably take it himself, he couldn't issue it to another soldier and sleep at night.

It had been Corporal Wier who had suggested he take the radio to the shabby little private who never seemed to be able to get drill routines right. The little man with jam jar thick glasses, was a regular, having volunteered for the Army in 1950, as a boy soldier. Unlike Lethbridge-stewart and the rest of his cohort, who were all doing their national service. But the strange little man had never got past the rank of private and never seemed to be able to master the simplest of soldiering skills. His performance on the assault course for example was appalling! Alistair just shook his head as he thought about it. 

The memory of the little man covered in the foul smelling mud, stood next to the rope swing and ringed by pointing and laughing new recruits was one he didn't like to dwell on. The hurt look in the little mans eyes had made Alistair take pity on him however. He had order the troops to be silent and to move on! The little man had nodded his thanks to Lethbridge-Stewart then trudged back to the front of the rope swing. As Alistair went towards the next obstacle he had winced hearing the loud splash behind him, as the little private landed in the mud once again.

Alistair got to the little shack. He knocked on the rickety door. 

“Come in,” a distracted voice muttered.

The shack was nothing more than a timber frame with corrugated tin sheets nailed in place. It must be like a sauna in there. It was the middle of the day and 30 degrees in the shade, and as the old saying went ‘and there isn't any shade’! 

This little tin hut was stood in the blazing sun, Alistair braced himself for the wall of heat to hit him when he opened the door. Instead Alistair shivered and goose bumps developed on his arms.

The little man inside looked up and said, “Pull the door shut or you'll let all the heat in!”

Alistair blinked at the bright light inside and grabbed the door pulling it shut. The little private was sat at a neat bench with the innards of what looked like a radar system spread out before him. At Alistair’s quizzical look he said.

“One of the fly boys brought it in, they had shrapnel pierce the fuselage of their aircraft and a piece ricocheted into this. Just sorting it out! Seems like they haven't got a spare one! Nearly finished, can you give me 15 minutes and I'll be right with you. Make yourself a tea while you wait.” he said nodding to the kettle in the corner.

Alistair went over and filled the kettle and switched it on. He then looked at the contraption in the opposite corner that seem to consist of two large tanks, a fan and lots of pipe work, half of which were covered in ice!

“That's an Aqua Ammonia absorption refrigeration unit! The outside heat causes the ammonia gas to expand and that’s what helps in the heat exchange! Simple really!” the little man said, smiling.

“Did you build it yourself?” Alistair asked amazed.

The little man nodded.

“Used a couple of old radiators from the motor pool!”

“Where did you get the ammonia from?” Alistair asked.

The Private smiled! "Scraped up all the manure off the road outside. 80% of that stuff converts into ammonia. It only took a couple of days and I had enough to get the system working!”

Alistair smiled to himself, well every one had a place they fitted into, this strange little man may not be a natural soldier, but he was one hell of a technical wizard!

Alistair made the tea and put a mug next to the man who was just putting the radar’s innards back into their casing.

“Right, Corp, what can I do for you!”

Alistair explained about the radio and the other man nodded. 

“It's a crack in the gains coil, easy to solve! The problem is it's a common fault so even if you replace it the new coil could already have the same fault! That, will then fool you into thinking that it must be something else that is wrong with the radio! It happens far too often and causes a lot of wasted time! I keep reporting it, but no one listens to a lowly private!” he said sighing deeply.” 

Alistair nodded.

“The coil was the first thing I replaced, it didn't work so like you say I discounted it as the problem!”

Osgood nodded, he opened a draw took out two new coil units. In five minutes he replaced the one in the radio and gave Alistair the other one.

“Keep that one as a spare in your pack, I've tested that one and it's fine!”

Alistair smiled and thanked the little man.

1970 London

Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart was looking at the personnel list in front of him. He had filled half of the posts in his new command. UNIT, UK, was looking to second personnel from all branches of the UK military.

He was looking down a list of people trying to find someone to head his technical section. He smiled when he saw the name he wanted.

Private Tom Osgood sat in the outer office of UNIT UK's commanding officer.

He kept looking at the name on the door. Brigadier A. G. Lethbridge-Stewart!

It wasn't a common name, but he was sure he had heard it before. Someone in Korea, but this couldn't be the same man as he was thinking about. That man had just been a young Corporal. Even if he had become an officer he couldn't be much past 40 years old. Surely he couldn’t have made Brigadier at that age. Brigadier's were considered young if they were 50 years old. Perhaps it was some relation, his father maybe.

A buzzer sounded on the Corporal’s desk and the young lady looked up.

“The Brigadier is ready for you now, just knock and go in!” she told him, smiling.

Osgood stood up, marched up to the door and knocked loudly. At the rather posh, commanding, voice telling him to enter he squared his shoulders and marched in. He came to attention at the front of the desk and saluted.

The Brigadier looked up, and smiled as he saw the look of shocked recognition on the privates face.

“Nice to see you again Osgood. I was hoping I could persuade you to transfer into my command here. I’m looking for someone able to think on their feet, who can solve any technical problems we encounter, and you were the obvious choice!”

The Brigadier quirked a half smile, “There will be an increase in rank, extra allowances and of course a flat for your family. So Osgood are you interested in the job?”

“Osgood took just a few seconds to think. A promotion and moving to London, his wife would be pleased. She was continually trying to encourage him to better himself and with another baby on the way. The extra money for the promotion to Lance Corporal wouldn't be much but..!”

The Brigadier was looking at him, an eyebrow raised “Well?”

“Yes Sir, I would be proud to join UNIT!”

The Brigadier smiled .

“Corporal Bell!” the Brigadier shouted.

As the young woman entered the room he smiled at her.

“Please take, Sargent Osgood, and show him his workshop. Issue him with kit and sort out accommodation for his family.”

“Yes, Sir!” the young woman said smiling at Osgood.

Osgood’s mouth was hanging open. “You did say Sargent, didn't you Sir?”

“Yes, SARGENT, I did! UNIT has all the soldiers it requires, what UNIT really needs is an Osgood!” he said smiling as he reached out his hand to shake Osgood’s.

“Welcome to the team, Sargent!”


End file.
